• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
es_ES Español
  • About
    • Meet Tracy!
    • Contact Me
    • Disclaimers & Disclosures
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Holidays
    • New Years Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • es_ES
Oh, The Things We'll Make!

Oh, The Things We'll Make!

Make it yourself so that you control the ingredients!

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Desserts & Sweets
      • frozen treats
    • Breads & Wraps
    • MIY Pantry Basics
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Beverages & Smoothies
    • Story Archives
  • Make it Yourself
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Face & Body
      • Cleansers, Soaps, & Gels
      • Deodorants
      • Hair
      • Skin Care
      • Oral Care
      • Baby & Toddler Care
    • Home & Garden
      • Cleaning & Laundry
      • Garden & Hens
    • Soap Making
    • Upcycling

  • About
    • Meet Tracy!
      • More About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclaimers & Disclosures
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
    • Beverages & Smoothies
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Desserts & Sweets
      • frozen treats
    • Breads & Wraps
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • MIY Pantry Basics
    • Story Archives
  • Make it Yourself
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Natural Face & Body
      • Cleansers, Soaps, & Gels
      • Natural Skin Care
      • Natural Hair care
      • Oral Care
      • Deodorants
      • Baby & Toddler Care
    • Soap Making
    • Home & Garden
      • Cleaning & Laundry
      • Garden & Hens
    • Photography
    • Upcycling
  • Holidays
    • New Years Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
es_ES Español
Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Spanish Creamy Seafood Salad: Ensaladilla de Marisco

Last Modified: December 18, 2019 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // December 15, 2015 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

es_ES Español

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

This time of year, seafood is one of the most popular Spanish Christmas foods. As soon as December rolls around, people are always calling my husband to find out the current price of the red Denia shrimp, one of the most sought out delicasies for people’s Christmas dinners. On a good year, the largest sized red Denia shrimp can go for over 200 euros a kilogram on the last few days before Christmas!

Perhaps I’m a bit too spoiled, but I can almost say that I get bored with the red Denia shrimp since my husband takes home the broken shrimp that can’t be sold once a week. Some of the shrimp is almost completely intact and would still be perfect for a mariscada, a plate filled with beautifully presented boiled and chilled seafood, at even the pickiest person’s Chrsitmas feast. Others, though, are quite unpresentable and perfect for making prawn crackers or this creamy seafood salad.

Potato salads and other similar creamy salads made with mayonnaise are quite popular in Spain. It isn’t uncommon to find a small ration of “ensaladilla rusa,” the most common potato salad served here, served as a tapa to accompany your beer or glass of wine. It it usually presented with small breadsticks as I showed in the picture.

Seafood salads are probably less common in other parts of Spain, but here on the coast you can find a decent seafood salad at many a small bar. In fact, the recipe that my mother-in-law makes for Christmas each year has been adapted from the “ensaladilla de marisco” served at a neighbor’s bar.

I have to admit that I hate most potato salads because I’m not a huge fan of mayonnaise or cold potatoes, and I despise hard boiled eggs, which are found in most potato salads here. I guess there isn’t really much about them that I do like. 😉

On the other hand, this creamy seafood salad is a lot different. It is made with a “salsa rosa,” which is a pink Spanish cocktail sauce that is basically a mix of a homemade mayonnaise with ketchup and a few other additions. It can be made with or without the potatoes. Most of the seafood salads at restaurants use a lot of potatoes as an inexpensive filler, but you can make a tastier, higher quality seafood salad at home by either skipping them or not using many.

The types of fish and seafood that you use in this salad will be greatly determined by your local choices, but I suggest using a whitefish as the main base (although some people choose to use tuna fish), and then adding up to an equal amount of other seafood of your choice. Shrimp, lobster, and crab meat are all great choices.

Some people also choose to add in some greens, either lettuce or small pieces of celery. I prefer mine without, but you can definitely customize this recipe however you like. You can even add in hard boiled egg, if you must, but just don’t invite me over for dinner then. 😉

Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Craving more?Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest recipes and tutorials!
Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Spanish Creamy Seafood Salad: Ensaladilla de Marisco

Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Servings: 6
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. whitefish hake, cod, etc.
  • 1/2 lb. seafood shrimp, lobster, crab meat
  • 1 small potato optional
  • 1 cups salsa rosa (Click on the link for the recipe)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare a pot of boiling water as you peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.
  • Boil the potatoes for around 10-15 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain the potato pieces and set them aside in a medium sized bowl. Salt them generously.
  • Boil or pan fry your fish and seafood, and remove any skin or shells.
  • Break the fish and seafood into tiny pieces with your fingers, and add to the boiled potatoes. Allow the potatoes and seafood to cool.
  • Add in your salsa rosa (or mayonnaise, if you prefer), and mix it in a little at a time. You want to add enough sauce to fully coat the seafood and potatoes, but you don't want them swimming in the sauce.
  • Refidgerate the mixture for several hours, long enough to allow the flavors to combine well, and then taste the salad for salt. Add in more salt and/or ketchup as needed.
Course Appetizers, Salads, Side dishes
Cuisine Spanish
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!

Pin for later:

Fancy enough for your holiday dinner, yet simple enough for your neighborhood potluck, this Spanish creamy seafood salad is sure to please your guests all year round.

Category: Uncategorized

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We'll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Previous Post: « Make your own professional looking DIY bakers twine in custom colors quickly and easily using cotton thread or embroidery floss. DIY Bakers Twine
Next Post: Valencian Puchero Recipe – Winter Spanish Stew Well balanced and nourishing, this Valencian puchero recipe will show you how to make a simple yet hearty Spanish stew that is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s day. »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raia

    January 7, 2016 at 4:09 AM

    Sounds yummy. I’ve never had a seafood salad before. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this, Tracy! 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Search

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

More about Tracy

overhead view of creams in jars

Free Formula Botanic Masterclass!

Running now…

9 free 10-minute classes to help you learn to begin developing professional-grade natural cosmetics in your own home!

Get started now!

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Featured on Buzzfeed, Lifehacker, Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Healthline, Redbook, Redfin

Closeup of 4 bars of homemade soap. Two of them have been wrapped in brown paper and wrapped with ribbons. One soap is wrapped with red ribbon and the other with white ribbon.

Making an Easy, Basic Beginner Soap, and Then Making it Fun!!

Homemade prawn crackers on a plate in front of uncooked homemade prawn crackers and a roll of prawn crackers dough.

Prawn Crackers from Scratch

Impress your friends and save money by making your own soy sauce from scratch. Today we'll learn how to make a homemade shoyu, a fermented Japanese soy sauce made from soybeans and wheat berries. #shoyu #soysauce

How to Make Soy Sauce (Homemade Shoyu)

Two bottles of a homemade conditioner next to a wooden comb and a washcloth.

Easy DIY Hair Conditioner for Natural Hair

A small glass jar filled with an emulsified sugar scrub with a wooden spoon in it.

Easy Emulsified Sugar Scrub

Over head view of a spoon full of tomato paste over a jar full of it. A couple of fresh tomatoes lay next to the jar.

Easy Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe

Featured on Buzzfeed, Lifehacker, Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Healthline, Redbook, Redfin
White logo for Oh, The Things Well Make! website

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 Tracy Ariza · Disclaimers and Disclosures · Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy